Vasantha Bhavan is a well known chain known largely for their south indian cuisine and have plenty of outlets scattered over the south of Vindhyas. VB signature is also part of the same tutelage but with a redefined twist. With VB's, they look to completely change the definition of dining by syncing fusion with food and the result is quite spectacular. It paints a completely different picture from what you would usually associate of Vasantha Bhavan. The place is all chic and uber cool and gives an upmarket broadway kind of feel. Except for the surveit leaflets and smidgeons of appearances of the Vasantha Bhavan brand, you would feel like there has been a revolutionary makeover.
One could always argue the fact that why you want to try something drastically different when things ars already smooth. In VB's it's about innovation in food and they've made quite a daring attempt at that. It's just not about trying to be different but they have dug down deep rooted and explored various possibilities and combinations. The menu also is being revamped again to add new items to the fray and from our visit to try a sample of the latest varieties, it must be said the food was resoundingly good.
Listed below is a brief take on the stuff we tried on the night.
Soup : Here we got to try 2 types viz the Broccoli&cheddar as well as the Sutta Makka cholam soup. The former had a lovely frothy aroma to it and condensed with rich flavours and garam masala. The latter was a corn based soup and a surprise with pop corn added along with corn kernels and curry leafs. Both of the soups were immensely enjoyable and set the tone for things to follow.
Appetizer and Salad : We were served 6 different varieties of papad's with 5 unique kinds of chutneys. There forte was very much visible here and it was great to have bites of the papad's dipped with the chutneys. In salad we got a watermelon and feta cheese based one. This was a pretty standard fare and not really the kind where one would be raving about.
Starters : On this front VB's showed their acumen and how. This is an area open for experimentation and they lorded this area big time. My single biggest prize winner was the pesto bharwan panneer tikka. Designed in the form of a portmanteau with pesto drizzled in the interval, these chunks of cottage cheese when dipped and eaten with green chutney & white cream sauce makes you feel the nirvana biting in the tongue. The sweet vada pav was another win. Panko crusted with perfect crispiness, this street food favourite in a redefined avatar was great to bite into. Then adding a radical twist were the Hyderabadi potato and water chestnut 65. This was quite a spicy and crunchy combination in the Indo-chinese genre. The szcheuan momo's were also well played with a light tanginess with the momo's being rather different than usual in look and feel.
Main course : We got to have soft fluffy idiappams with the soaky yellow sodhi made of coconut milk and a traditional favorite of Ceylon. I loved making my idiappam all soggy by pouring adequate portions of sodhi and customised the style according to my taste by garnishing with varied toppings to give the zip. The chur chur paratha again was different from the usual being crispy and flaky in texture being flavoured with ghee and ajwain. Naan also got a face-lift and came dressed up in the form of sun dried tomato and a cheddar mix. The essence stuck on in fine fashion with the aroma lingering heavily. And for the side dishes, we had the ever favourite dal makhni. This is VB's signature black dal and they lived upto expectations by being very good. The lentils simmering in a bowl with the right mix of butter, cream and spices. And the other one we had was the spice oriented Panneer Taka tak. These were stir fried juicy elongated pieces of panneer cooked in tawa style inspired from the streets of Old Delhi. With onions and capsicums added along and garnished with the requisite spices, this is a kick ass side dish perfect to have along with rice or roti.
Desserts & Drinks : Another section which hit the jackpot. The Boost ice cream was one of a kind and the kind you would like to dig into. The chocolate job version 2.0 was another scorcher with loads and loads of chocolate in alliance with oreo and the result was magnificent on the mouth. And last but not the least, the oreo peanut butter cheesecake. Oreo biscuits crushed and crumbed in collaboration with peanut brittle in a creamy layered base of peanut butter cheesecake. A totally delectable and droolicious dessert. For drinks tried the Bovonto Mojito which was a wonderful chilled out drink and the oreo cream shake which was to devour.
The service was very hospitable. They were always willing to help us with the orders and more than ready to divulge minute details about the dishes served which was very engaging and interesting. As the visit was over an 'on the house', I'm refraining from commenting about the pricing. Would just add a one liner saying they are competitively priced. The ambiance and decor paint a rosy picture and gives a trendy feel in consonance with the kind of vittle provided.
On a holistic picture, VB pressed the buttons right at every hook. The level of detailing was remarkable and the taste of the food is ample testimony to show the efforts involved in experimentation and innovation. This was not some random job to bring newness to the table. The sincerity and homework definitely shows and I have to commend them on the work undertaken. They have stood out from the crowd and created a niche for themselves. This is perhaps one of the best restaurant's indulging in fusion based cuisine in the city.
One could always argue the fact that why you want to try something drastically different when things ars already smooth. In VB's it's about innovation in food and they've made quite a daring attempt at that. It's just not about trying to be different but they have dug down deep rooted and explored various possibilities and combinations. The menu also is being revamped again to add new items to the fray and from our visit to try a sample of the latest varieties, it must be said the food was resoundingly good.
Listed below is a brief take on the stuff we tried on the night.
Soup : Here we got to try 2 types viz the Broccoli&cheddar as well as the Sutta Makka cholam soup. The former had a lovely frothy aroma to it and condensed with rich flavours and garam masala. The latter was a corn based soup and a surprise with pop corn added along with corn kernels and curry leafs. Both of the soups were immensely enjoyable and set the tone for things to follow.
On a holistic picture, VB pressed the buttons right at every hook. The level of detailing was remarkable and the taste of the food is ample testimony to show the efforts involved in experimentation and innovation. This was not some random job to bring newness to the table. The sincerity and homework definitely shows and I have to commend them on the work undertaken. They have stood out from the crowd and created a niche for themselves. This is perhaps one of the best restaurant's indulging in fusion based cuisine in the city.
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